‘Zenith’ sculpture chosen for Bend’s Alpenglow Community Park
Public had opportunity to review 3 finalists, weigh in online
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The group Art in Public Places, Bend Park & Recreation District staff and Bend Park & Recreation Foundation selection committee members have selected Seattle artist Troy Pillow to create the Zenith sculpture at full scale for Alpenglow Community Park.
To garner broad public input, AIPP welcomed public comments online for the first time, increasing the community engagement with new public art in Bend. The selection committee was thrilled to receive comments from over 1,400 people submitting public input (online or in-person) on which of three proposed sculptures they’d like to see in the new park.
Comments from the public on the chosen artwork included, “I like the simplicity that you sense the connection to landscape, trees and rivers,” and, “I like that it is a bit more abstract and open to interpretation.”
"I am honored and excited to be selected for the public sculpture opportunity for Alpenglow Park. The intention for the design was to create a work that has a symbiotic relationship with the natural environment with it’s simple reaching shapes and natural patina a finish,” said artist Troy Pillow, He also created the kayak sculpture outside the BPRD headquarters and the artwork in the roundabout at SE 15th Street and Bear Creek Road.
The new artwork will be made of Cor-Ten steel and stand 18 to 20 feet high, 18 feet in diameter, and is described as "a sculpture that celebrates the landscape of the High Desert."
“We are so pleased to see the increased community engagement through our addition of the online comments,” said Romy Mortensen, AiPP President. “Having the three sculpture finalists on display at the new Larkspur Community Center was also a benefit in providing additional opportunities for community members to engage with the art.”
The sculpture will be in an area west of the event pavilion, directly adjacent to the park’s central pathway. This open area can be seen from various vantage points throughout the park, and the sculpture is envisioned as becoming a focal point for everyone enjoying the park, which is expected to open in late spring off SE 15th Street, north of the new Caldera High School.
“Once installed, park users will really appreciate the scale, materials and meaning behind Zenith,” said Ian Isaacson, BPRD landscape architect and project manager. “This sculpture will work harmoniously with both the built and natural features of Alpenglow Park and I am excited that the public will be able to enjoy it in this setting.”
The sculpture selected will be included in the public art collection for Bend Park & Recreation District.
Funding for public art in Bend is made possible by the Bend Foundation, a non-profit founded and funded by Brooks Scanlon and Brooks Resources Corporation. Art in Public Places is a non-profit organization that provides art to various locations throughout the city of Bend.
For more information, visit https://artinpublicplaces.org/.
